Teenager on boy-racer charges

Gary Hapeta Tahere, 17, faces four charges for boy-racing.

A Napier man faces four charges for boy-racing after the car he was driving smashed into a house, injuring himself and three others.

Gary Hapeta Tahere, 17, appeared at Napier District Court yesterday on the charges which relate to a Saturday night crash in May.

He is charged under the Land Transport Act 1998 section 22A(1) which states people must not engage in unauthorised street or drag racing, or other related prohibited activities, on roads.

Tahere faces three charges of causing injury to three people after unnecessarily driving at speed.

The maximum penalty for this type of offending is five years' imprisonment or a $20,000 fine.

He also faces one more charge of driving while not holding an appropriate driver's licence, which carries a maximum penalty of a $1000 fine.

The crash happened at about 10.30pm when a car travelling on Masefield Ave in Maraenui was thought to have failed to stop at a T-intersection.

It crossed the road and crashed into the front of one of two adjoining Housing New Zealand units.

People were evacuated from the homes when it was discovered that a gas installation had been fractured due to the crash.

The smell of the leaking gas was said to have lingered in the area for several hours afterwards.

Emergency services were called to the scene, including three fire trucks which assisted in extricating injured people, and to help with the gas emergency. It was unknown if any residents were home at the time, but no residents were reported to be injured.

Tahere did not enter a plea and was remanded to return to court next month.